Are you Asking Your Veterinarian Enough Questions?

Recently an aquaintence said her dog was having seizures. She had greened her lifestyle and her dog was on Revolution to kill heartworm microfilaria,  parasites, and fleas. Now it doesn't take Einstein to realize that a chemical designed to kill all those parasites harbored in and on the body by different means, on a continuous basis isn't green. I mentioned to her that the main ingredient in Revolution is Selamectin, a manmade synthetic drug only slightly similiar to the relatively safer Ivermectin. Selamectin is a neurological poison. Her reply was the vet said it was safe...my reply was, how does your vet know that?
The only major testing done on Revolution is by Pfizer, the manufacturer. That is the vets only source of information on this product. Their own MSDS states it may cause liver damage. One of the ingredients is BHT, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, a chemical that used to be common in dog food until the pet owners  raised such a public outcry that dog food manufacturers removed it from the ingredient list. So..it is not o.k. to put BHT in your dogs' food but it IS o.k. to put it in the bloodstream? Does that make sense to you?
The amount of BHT used in Revolution is listed as a trade secret. Having sold pharmaceuticals to veterinarians I know that sometimes 'trade secret' is used to hide things that might cause general public concern. Remember that the testing has only been done by Pfizer, not by a veterinary institution research university. If  I had to guess, I would guess that BHT, an ingredient also found in embalmers fluid  that will 'pickle' the liver,combined with Selamectin, a neurotoxin,could easily contribute to the problems her little dog is having. This chemical combination has to travel though the bloodstream to kill heartworm microfilaria, then it goes through the liver and kidneys where it is NOT filtered out and  it lodges under the skin  to kill fleas and then starts the cycle of reentering the bloodstream all over again. She may have greened her home but she has not greened her dog. Her veterinarian said it was safe. Does that sound safe to you?
Obviously the word safe is relative.
If my vet said that to me ,my question would be ,"who said it was safe".."what studies have been done?" "How much have you used it in your practice"? "Have there been any specific breed studies?"
(  Pfizer did test it on Collies, but the dog in question is tiny and not a Collie) I am amazed at how few people question their veterinarian..even human doctors get questioned more. For example, your vet had ONLY  45 minutes of nutrition education in college. That is for all species, not just dogs. And I know people who feed Science Diet because the vet said it was the best.The sales rep may have convinced him that since he had little education on canine nutrition in school to rely on. I also know vets personally who have received kick back from Science Diet for the clients they put on the food. It wasn't about nutrition, it was about money. Kick back is huge in the medical world and that includes veterinarians so it is always in your dogs' best interest to question your vet. Of course they do their work because they love animals but they are busy and it is a lot easier to rely on a package insert and what the sales rep tells you than to take the time to do your own checking. We want to believe our vet is the best in the world but if we really want to do the best for our dogs we will ask questions..lots of them. I know veterinarians go crazy when clients read things on the internet but there are reliable sources such as Cornell online, UC Davis and UT Vet that provide much of the same information that your veterinarian should be accessing.
I say arm yourself with knowledge and ask questions to make the most informed decisions for your dog. You owe him that.

Extra Protection Against Heartworm Microfilaria Carrying Mosquitos

OMG! It seems like yesterday I was complaining about the cold and today I found 3 mosquitos in the house. We have had warm temps and lots of rain and low lying flooding (pictured above) the past week and the mosquitos are out in force in Febuary!
Living in the Southern U.S. does mean that mosquitos have to be dealt with many months out of the year and Heartworm infestation is rampant here. I have had two dogs infected with heartworm,one of them was so badly infected he was euthanized, the other responded to treatment. Believe me, treatment is not cheap!
Everyone seems to know someone who has had their dog on heartworm preventative only to have them test positive for heartworm microfilaria anyway. Here's the deal- HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVES ARE NOT 100% EFFECTIVE. Plus, dogs can have false positive test results especially if the dog is slightly anemic or a sighthound breed. I suspect a number of dogs have been treated needlessly so if your dog tests positive and is on preventative I suggest a second opinion. The chance is slim that it is a false positive but the chance is there nonetheless and it could save you a bundle and your dog a miserable treatment to undergo.
During mosquito weather, which for me begins today,I use a light mix of cedarwood oil and oil of thyme to help repel the pests.(As we get into summer and West Nile season, I will use the citrus repellent described in an earler post as well.) I used to mix it up in a bottle with vodka and spray it on but now I put a few drops in my hand and rub it vigorously into the coat close to the skin whenever we are going to spend time outdoors.
Juliette De Bairacli Levy, the High Priestess of Holistic Pet Care suggests that adding thyme to the dogs daily diet will prevent microfilaria from maturing into heartworm....I don't know if that is scientifically sound, but thyme grows well outside my backdoor and I do add it to my dogs' diet....since taking these extra precautions I have not had any heartworm infections. But remember, these are additional precautions, not a replacement for a Heartworm preventative medications and regular testing by your vet.

Speaking of HEARTS, Puff, Jazz and myself wish you and yours a Happy Valentines!

Dogs Get Mosquito Bites Too

Although this pic implies that Puff likes to go fishing, he really doesn't. (he is just making sure the fish doesn't have any treats hidden in there)We are around water and with West Nile Virus in my area I make sure I spray Puff with mosquito repellant several times a day. Even with most people giving their dogs heartworm preventative it is surprising to me how many of those owners don't realize that dogs get mosquito bites. Many people think the dogs' coats protect them from biting mosquitos. Well that coat doesn't protect from mosquitos any more than it protects from fleas and biting flies.Mosquitos do carry heartworm microfilaria and they can transmit West Nile to dogs as well.
Granted, dogs are not as susceptible as some other animals, like horses and humans, but it is a risk nonetheless so spray is a good idea but not spray intended for people. Your dog could ingest that and get sick by licking it off his coat. I use a few drops of natural eucalyptus, citrus,lavender and geranium oil with an ounce of vodka and 3 ounces spring water in a glass 4 ounce bottle that fits neatly in my jeans pocket when we are outside or going for a walk. It is super cheap and I spray it on myself as well and have not had a single bite when using it. I don't use citronella as dogs are very offended by the smell of citronella. That is why it is used in that popular anti- bark collar.The citrus oil I use is a mix of lemon, orange and pomegranite.It makes Puff smell yummy and he doesn't mind at all standing still while I spray him!